European member states have been advised to remove from 1 March the ban on non-essential travel for citizens from non-EU states who have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
All travellers who have been vaccinated at least 14 days but not more than 270 days, or nine months, before travelling can enter the EU. Those with a vaccination date older than 270 days must get a booster before they will be allowed into the EU.
The EU bloc’s council noted in a press release that ‘the amendments introduced to respond to the evolution of the pandemic, the increasing vaccination uptake and administration of booster doses’ and the ‘growing number of certificates issued by third countries as equivalent to the EU digital Covid certificate’.
This recommendation comes after the EU changed its travel restrictions from 1 February to take into account the status of the individual, rather than their country of departure.
The new amendments only apply to countries that have an EU equivalent digital Covid certificate. The transfer of South African digital Covid certificates to the EU standard is currently not possible, so South Africans are required to present their proof of vaccination in physical (paper) form, according to the German embassy.
The EU Council also noted: ‘A negative PCR test before departure could also be required for persons who have recovered from Covid-19, as well as for persons who have been vaccinated with an EU-approved vaccine but do not hold an EU or equivalent certificate.’
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